High School

Summer Goals and the College Admissions Game

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(Quick note to Moms, Dads, and other primary care givers: I know you’ve said very similar things to your kids. But, of course, they won’t believe it coming from you. So print this out and leave it on their pillows. The third-party approach often works like a charm ;-)) The most important criterion—and the most frequently heard buzz word—in today’s college admissions game is passion. Demonstrable passion. Anyone can CLAIM passion about his or her interests, but picture admissions committee as one giant D.A. from Lily Tomlin and company’s awesome kids’ show The Magic School Bus, running around with a clipboard demanding […]

Using the Summer to Gain a Competitive Edge

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What are the best three things about the school year?  Duh.  June, July and August of course!  Camp, summer jobs, new friends and relationships, and, most importantly, NO SCHOOL! The long summer break is a double-edged sword, however: very few use the summer to advance their learning or to advance their chances in the college admissions game.  Given the increasingly competitive nature of the game, summertime represents a phenomenal opportunity for ambitious students not only to enhance their education (not to mention keeping up with the international competition, who are in school 10 or 11 months out of the year), […]

A Brief History of College Courtship: Interest –> Demonstrated Interest –> Informed Interest

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College admissions committees have always been more interested in students who are interested in their schools than those who are simply throwing in another application just to see if they can get in or to use as a safety school. Back in the days before college admissions became more competitive than the Olympics, it was enough for candidates to say (and we were actually coached to say), during interviews for example, “You’re my first choice.” In today’s college admissions game, that no longer flies. You have to PROVE you’re interested (see Summer Goals and the College Admissions Game); you have […]

What College Bound Teens Can Learn from a Bunch of 50-Year Olds

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50 may be the new 40, but it still feels suddenly different—ok, old— to many of us. I’m always wary of sweeping generalizations, but judging from conversations among my peers at a gym in West Hartford Center, many of us fifty-somethings have a significantly different definition of happiness than we did when we were in our late teens and twenties. The interesting thing about my gym group is that it’s not really a group—just an eclectic assortment of individuals whose backgrounds cut across social, ethnic, racial, and religious lines, who happen to share some level of commitment to health and physical activity, […]

Why CPE’s 4-in-1 Super-Value Math Class Is Right for YOU Right Now

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   For further details on the class, visit our 4-in-1 Super Value Math page Dr. Yo’s 4-in-1 Super-Value Math Class is one of those rare classes that makes excellent sense for the vast majority of high school students regardless of their achievement and regardless of the caliber schools they’re considering or hope to consider. The problem is, most students and parents either don’t know that it exists, or they don’t immediately see how it can prove so tremendously beneficial in their particular case. The purpose of this blog post is to redress those unfortuante circumtances. The concept underpinning the class is to offer high […]

2 Reasons Why CT Juniors Should Take 2 SATs in 4 Days

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Why did the CollegeBoard make their flagship exam, which was already too long to begin with, nearly an hour longer? They didn’t think very hard about it. They didn’t read any scholarly research on the subject. They value marathon runners over sprinters. They don’t care a whit about students. Don’t worry, this is NOT a rant, I just couldn’t resist. Truth be told, there is much about the redesigned SAT rolling out in March that appeals to my inner educator. But three hours and 50 minutes? Seriously? To be fair, it’s a mere three hours without the “optional” essay section, […]

The SAT and Snow Cancellations

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With the current weather forecast for snow this weekend in Connecticut, many parents and students have been asking about the SAT scheduled for this weekend, January 23/24. Do they actually cancel for snow? What happens then? Can they really do that after all work you invested gearing up for and scheduling around a really important day? Alas, the answers aren’t good new. Yes, they—the good folks at the College Board—can and do cancel for snow. And they will tell you, test center by test center, when and where your re-test will be (typically two weeks later). You have no vote and get […]

Dr. Yo’s Easier/Harder Guide to the NEW SAT for March 2016

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You’ve been hearing quite a bit about the substantially redesigned SAT rolling out this March (March 2 in WeHa public schools, to be specific, and March 5 nationwide). And I strongly suspect we’ll be hearing quite a bit more in the weeks to come. The bottom line is, despite the protestations of the College Board and Kahn Academy (which has had video help freely available for YEARS without any hoopla), the changes make tutors, classes, and other forms of extra help and preparation MORE, not less, important. Because the SAT hasn’t changed in a decade, everyone has some familiarity with […]

Shedding Light on the Dark Ages of Junior Year

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Back when I was in school, teachers sometimes liked to call the Middle Ages the Dark Ages.  Perhaps a misnomer, the term Dark Ages was meant to suggest that during the Middle Ages—the period in Western History between Antiquity (Greeks and Romans) and the Renaissance—nothing very interesting happened as far as historians were concerned.  Hence, it was dark. By analogy, the long period in the junior year sandwiched between Oct PSATs and winter/spring SATs/ACTs might well be called the Dark Ages of the Junior year. I see it happen to well-intentioned, high-achieving students every year: not a lot going on in terms […]

Guest Blog by Amanda Youmans, I Got the SAT Blues

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Why do I believe my standardized test scores are not a valid indication of my college readiness?      (A) I read Sian Beilock’s Choke and I lie on the spectrum between nervous test takers and those who suffer from full-blown test anxiety.      (B) I don’t think there exists a standardized test that reflects my passion for learning or intellectual interests or abilities.      (C) Bubble sheets are not well-suited to represent the breadth or depth of what I’ve learned in high school, in or out of the classrooms.      (D) All of the above. If […]

Traveling Abroad Revisited – Good for Life, Good for College Admissions

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All my CPE students seem to be talking and writing lately about foreign travel in one form or another. From school-sponsored exchange programs to trips with school bands performing on stage or with churches performing community services to family safaris and other individual summer adventures, something’s in the air. Thought it was a propitious time to dust off a piece I wrote almost three years ago to the date (and by dust off I mean change the parts I don’t like): It would be no exaggeration to say that my trip to France in the summer of 1980 changed my life. As a typical angst-ridden […]

The College Admissions Process 101

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1. Get the best grades in the most advanced classes you can. The first thing college admissions officers look for in evaluating any application is your curriculum and grades. The most effective way to become an attractive candidate is to impress them with your coursework and GPA. If you need help raising your grade in any particular subject(s), our outstanding tutors can help.  2. Learn as much as you can about the application process by reading blogs and listening to podcasts. There are many pieces to the puzzle, and they cannot be figured out overnight. Carve out time to investigate all the elements […]

ACTs Less Than a Week Away? 5 Pro Tips to Raise Your Scores REALLY Fast

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Good time management on the ACT, even more than on the SAT, is crucial for getting high scores. And the cool thing is, relatively speaking, it doesn’t take long to master or to see its impact on your composite score. Is a few days enough time? Yup, if you’re dedicated. It’s basically a matter of knowing the format of each of the five tests really well. You don’t want to be the kid who, when the proctor says turn the page and begin, blurts out, “Hey! There’s Science on this test?!”   Those who become students of the exam–that is, […]

Standardized Test Prep Made Simple: Tip Sheet for Preparing for SATs and ACTs

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Preparing for high-stakes standardized tests like the SAT or the ACT is not EASY, but it is SIMPLE. What I mean by that is much of the work is psychological: you need to make a decision to invest the necessary time, plan your work, and then work your plan. For years instructors at CollegePrepExpress have been helping students get high scores by showing them that preparation for these behemoth exams is really the same as that for any other test: it involves TWO basic activities: studying the material covered on the exam and taking practice tests to give you facility […]